Easley Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Easley CB |
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The Easley Covered Bridge near Rosa, Alabama before its recent restoration.
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| Coordinates | 33°58′16″N 86°31′07″W / 33.97111°N 86.51861°W |
| Carries | single lane motor traffic |
| Crosses | Dub Branch, Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River |
| Locale | Rosa, Alabama |
| Maintained by | Blount County Commission |
| ID number | 01-05-12 (WGCB) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Town Lattice truss |
| Total length | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Width | 9 ft (3 m) clearance |
| Load limit | 3 US tons (2.72 metric tons) |
| Clearance above | 8 ft (2 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1927 |
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Easley Covered Bridge
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Rosa, Alabama |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.2 ha) |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Forrest Tidwell |
| Architectural style | One Span Town Truss |
| MPS | Blount County Covered Bridges TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000125 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 20, 1981 |
The Easley Covered Bridge is a special old bridge in Blount County, Alabama, United States. It's also known as the Old Easley Covered Bridge or Rosa Covered Bridge. This bridge is made of wood and metal. It crosses a small stream called Dub Branch, which is part of the Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River.
You can find the bridge on Easley Bridge Road, near the town of Rosa. It's about 5 miles (8 kilometers) northwest of Oneonta.
The Easley Covered Bridge was built in 1927. It is 95 feet (29 meters) long. It uses a special design called a town lattice truss. This bridge is very important because it's the oldest and shortest of the three historic covered bridges still in Blount County.
Because it's so old and special, the Easley Covered Bridge is listed on important historical registers. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1976. Later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
The bridge was closed in 2009 because it needed repairs. But it was fixed up and reopened for cars on October 22, 2012. The Blount County Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation help take care of it.
Contents
History of the Easley Bridge
Building the Bridge
The Easley Covered Bridge was built in 1927. A team led by Forrest Tidwell and his nephew Zelma C. Tidwell built it. The bridge crosses Dub Branch. For many years, the bridge was used all the time. Only small repairs were needed now and then.
Bridge Repairs and Reopening
In 2009, the Easley Covered Bridge was inspected. It was found to be unsafe, so it had to close. Two other covered bridges nearby, the Swann Covered Bridge and the Horton Mill Covered Bridge, were also closed. The Horton Mill Bridge had been damaged by vandals in 2007.
Work to fix all three bridges started in late 2011. Most of the money for these repairs came from a special program called the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. Other funds also helped. A company called Bob Smith Construction was chosen to do the work.
The Easley Covered Bridge was the second of the three bridges to be fixed. Workers repaired or replaced old wooden parts. They also put new tin roofs on all three bridges. This helps protect the important wooden parts from bad weather. The total cost to fix all three bridges was about $540,000.
After all the necessary repairs, the Easley Covered Bridge was reopened. Cars could drive on it again starting October 22, 2012.
Keeping the Bridge Safe
In late 2015, cameras were put up at the three covered bridges in Blount County. This was done to help stop vandalism. A year before, someone had drawn graffiti on the Easley Covered Bridge. Luckily, it was cleaned and repainted. The cameras help keep these historic bridges safe for everyone.
Bridge Measurements
Here are some approximate measurements for the Easley Covered Bridge:
- Main Span Length: This is the length of the longest single section of the bridge. It's about 35.1 feet (10.7 meters).
- Total Span Length: This is the total length of the bridge's main structure. It's about 83.0 feet (25.3 meters).
- Deck Width: This is how wide the road surface is. It's about 10.8 feet (3.3 meters).
- Vertical Clearance: This is how much space there is from the road to the lowest part of the bridge's roof. It's about 9.0 feet (2.7 meters).
Please remember that these measurements are approximate. The total span length is not always the same as the total length of the entire bridge structure.
See also
In Spanish: Puente cubierto de Easley para niños
